I want more NOISE!!

[Vmax64]

Mine's a standard Chim 500 that just had a full re-build. While picking up my car another guy started up his 400 .... and it sounded awsome ... way better than mine. So I asked why? Answer was he'd had the exhaust sleeved.
So my question is this - is this a good way to go? Are there any downsides to doing this? It's only ~£150 to get it done so pretty good value I feel and am told no probs at MOT time. I hear others have the car de-catted.
Opinions/thoughts welcome.
Thanks

[pk500]

when you have more noise you wish it was not so noisy on a long trip

[Vmax64]

You make a good point. Question is does sleeving the xhaust give a nice compromise between std and just too loud? Are there other options I should consider.
I could leave it well alone but if I'm honest it doesn't make quite the sound in std form that I think a TVR should.

[pk500]

my 500 is standard i thought of playing with exhaust but never have ! my 400 se is load and proud ! was until i stripped it down !

Vmax64 said:

You make a good point. Question is does sleeving the xhaust give a nice compromise between std and just too loud? Are there other options I should consider.
I could leave it well alone but if I'm honest it doesn't make quite the sound in std form that I think a TVR should.

[BrightYellowTVR]

Removed per-cats and a sleeved exhaust seems to make all the right noises

[str]

i have a 500 that is sleeved and have left the pre cats alone. I think it is a great sound on tick over and when accelerating and is not at all noisy trundling down the motorway at 3000 rpm. It has to be done!

[TV8]

Dont forget you were listening to his car from the outside and you listen to yours mostly from the drivers seat. His will be louder but yours may be louder than you realise.

[Ozmira]

There's loads of YouTube clips out there with sleeved exhausts, pre cats removed and decatted y peice exhausts.

Having your exhaust sleeved is a good option because if you don't like it or think its to loud you can always put it back to standard. Having it decatted is something you can only do once (removing pre cats). You could go out and buy new or second hand y piece and change that for a bit more sound.

[Malcster]

There's also the 'cherry bomb' route.

I've never heard this in real life, but I imagine it would be a good half way house between standard, and full-fat sleeved.

[C350]

Malcster said:

There's also the 'cherry bomb' route.

I've never heard this in real life, but I imagine it would be a good half way house between standard, and full-fat sleeved.

I drove a friends (TVRMAN) and his cherry bomb sounds fantastic and pops and bangs on the over run.

[Malcster]

C350 said:

I drove a friends (TVRMAN) and his cherry bomb sounds fantastic and pops and bangs on the over run.

Was that de-catted too?
How loud would it be for the motorway?

[SILICONEKID340HP]

Malcster said:

C350 said:

I drove a friends (TVRMAN) and his cherry bomb sounds fantastic and pops and bangs on the over run.

Was that de-catted too?
How loud would it be for the motorway?

They are terrible on the motorway especialy long distances so i stick these in .

[sheel]

Sleeved my 450 last week, love it, sounds meaty on tickover, raw when booted, awesome when you drive thro town 25mph in second (everyone turns round) (and probably thinks who's that dick!) but hey ho I love it and its fine at motorway speeds, might take precats out next, but as others say, easy to do , cheap and reversable

[Vmax64]

love this site ... thanks all for the comments so far which really help. Looks like the sleeve option is the way to go for me - like the option to be able to reverse it if I or someone else needs to.

[SILICONEKID340HP]

Vmax64 said:

love this site ... thanks all for the comments so far which really help. Looks like the sleeve option is the way to go for me - like the option to be able to reverse it if I or someone else needs to.

It`s the resonance which gets on your nerves..

[Malcster]

So... For pops & bangs, do we need to de-cat?

I love a bit of popping on overrun, but can't be assed with the de-cat hassles come MOT time.

[900T-R]

Not the cheapest option, but... ACT manifolds + decat pipes + standard exhaust system =

...and not obnoxious at all on those long motorway runs - just enough to hear the engine burbling away in the background with the roof off @ 90 clicks where it would be drowned in the wind noise before.

[lestershaw]

this is the sound of mine, the mike doesnt actually pick up the loudness. i dont like the boat sounding start up but i like the rest, and i can make it pop and crackle more or less when i want

straight through exhaust-no cats
clives Y piece
but im not sure if the precats are out?
Lester

[dbv8]

Malcster said:

So... For pops & bangs, do we need to de-cat?

I love a bit of popping on overrun, but can't be assed with the de-cat hassles come MOT time.

No but an inneficient tune may help.

I lost most of my pops and bangs when i went megasquirt. I did get more power and mpg so thats a bonus i guess

[Goaty Bill]

SILICONEKID340HP said:

It`s the resonance which gets on your nerves..

Mine had the 'sports exhaust' treatment from the factory.
Where there were silencers on most cars, there aren't.
"Yes sir Mr. MOT man, that's exactly how it arrived from the factory". 'cause it's true

I love that deep growl reverberating through the car at a constant 85 leptons up the motorway.
It's like snuggling up to a Bengal tiger having a snooze.

Now, to be fair, while mine was once the loudest TVR I had ever heard for some years (aside from an Isle of Man Griffith 500 that was in for a service the same time as mine), it is by no means as loud as a lot of cars that have been more recently modified by de-catting etc. etc.

I just have to disagree with you Daz, as a matter of personal preference. I love it.